U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,406 discloses a laser-based accelerometer system which uses small motion induced shifts in frequency to measure the motion of an object. The detection system of this patent is complicated, expensive to manufacture, and difficult to use.
It is an object of this invention to provide a laser vibrometer which is substantially less expensive and easier to use than the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,406.